Felled Trees and Fallen Stars
by Madilynn52003
Summary: A broken promise shatters more than trust. Heartbroken upon learning that Dipper will be Ford’s apprentice, Mabel runs away into the forest. There she re-encounters a certain demon who offers her something that she can’t decline; an endless summer. All she needs to do now is fulfill her end of the deal.


**AN: This is the first fanfiction I've ever written! It's been fun to read everyone else's works, but I thought I might as well try to contribute my own. Also, this begins during DAMVTF, in which Mabel grabs her bag rather than Dipper's before running away.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or any of its characters.**

 **Mabel's POV**

Today was supposed to be perfect. I was so excited to finally become a teenager; I'd been looking forward to it my whole life! But then I found out that high school isn't what television cut it out to be, and even worse, my two best friends can't even make it to my birthday party! Yet above all that, everything that had already gone wrong today, that dumb voice of my stupid brother over the walkie-talkie is what broke me.

I thought he was better than that. He told me he wasn't going to leave me, that we were going to stay together forever, that we wouldn't end up like Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford. I felt like crying when I heard him accept the apprenticeship, not because I wasn't happy for him, but because he broke the promises that bonded us together.

Now I'm just sitting here at the trunk of a tree eating chocolate. I wish that the sweetness of the candy melting in my mouth would wipe the tears off of my face, but more begin to trickle down my cheek when I realize that nothing could ever cheer me up now.

My body suddenly shivers as a wave of sadness rushes over me, and I drop the chocolate onto the pine needles scattered across the ground. It doesn't matter to me anymore because I've already buried my hot and wet face in my hands. I couldn't force back the hiccups that escape my mouth even if I wanted to.

"I just wish summer could last forever," I whimper inbetween sobs. Every word that falls out of my mouth reminds me of each letdown and setback I've had this summer. It's as if all of the times that Dipper and I worked together as Mystery Twins was for nothing, because now he's going to watch me go home alone while he stays with Grunkle Ford to take on the apprenticeship that replaced his own sister.

Leaves scraping against my bare legs grab my attention as I notice the change of wind. I lift my head out of the cup my hands have formed, the newfound breeze drying my tears to my sticky face. My sadness is transformed into curiosity as a knot on a tree right in front of me... _blinks?_

I stand up as fast as I can, preparing myself for whatever weird creature I'm being put up against. For a split second I wish that Dipper were here with me, but I ignore the thought when I remember what he did to me. Focusing back upon the situation, I lock my gaze on the tree-eye as everything around it turns gray and... _oh no!_ It's all too familiar; the maniacal laughter, the whole world lacking color, the demon triangle forming itself around the eye. _This is the worst time ever for this!_

"You know, Shooting Star, I think I can help you with that!"

 **Dipper's POV**

"Mabel, come back!" Oh man, what did I do? Mabel ran away and I made her cry and _this is all my fault-_ My distressed thoughts are interrupted by the fact that _I can't breathe,_ I know I'm hyperventilating but I have no idea what to do and I need to go find Mabel before she gets herself hurt... I run out the attic door, but a second later I bump into something and find myself on the floor again.

"Great Uncle Ford!"

"Yes, Dipper, it's me," he responds, and I regain my vision to see him bending over and outstretching his arm, holding his hand out to me. I place my own in his palm as he helps lift me up. "Dipper, come with me, we don't have much time before-"

"Great Uncle Ford, Mabel ran away!" I interrupt him, and just as I try to run after my sister he grabs my arm. "No! Please! I need to go get her, she's all alone and she's going to get hurt and-and-"

He places his other hand on my shoulder and turns me around so I'm facing him, as he kneels to my height. "Dipper, listen. We need to patch the rift before it completely cracks. If we don't do it now, who knows how much more danger she'll be in." He pauses and his face shifts from a stern to proud look in the time of a few seconds. "So, what do you say, apprentice?"

Hearing that my sister will be in even more danger if the rift cracks is enough to convince me to focus on the task at hand. I nod my head and turn around to grab my bag, and when I turn back, Ford has already left. I take one last look at our bedroom, internally sighing. _I'll find you, Mabel. Just let me save the world first._

 **Mabel's POV**

I glare at the demon who just appeared in front of my eyes. "I'll never let you help me, you evil triangle! Not after what you did to my brother!"

Bill laughs, squinting his eye into a one-eyed smile. "How hilarious you humans are, pointing fingers at someone who's just trying to help!" He laughs again and pretends to wipe away a tear from his eye. "Anyways, it's not about what _I_ did to him, it's about what _he_ did to you. You realize he just left his own sibling to be an apprentice of the guy he _just met_ , right?"

"Don't remind me," I mutter, looking down to the side as I kick a leaf. I look back up when I feel an arm wrapped around my shoulder, and I jump away from it when I realize it's Bill's.

"Look, kid. I can give you an endless summer, all I want from you is something that belongs to your brother," he says, widening his eye to project an image from it. He reaches out his arm and pretends to hold the object. It looks like a snow globe, but instead of having snow on the inside it's holding a floating liquid galaxy in it.

 _Why would he want that, out of all things? I mean, it does look really pretty._ "What is it?" I ask him.

"Oh, it's just something small; your brother won't even know it's missing!" Bill blinks to return his eye to normal and moves his hand in front of my face. "So, do we have a deal?" His hand lights on fire, the blue flames lighting up everything around it. "Unless you're ready to leave Gravity Falls," he adds, and my heart skips a beat when he reminds me that if I don't take his deal, I'll have to go home to California alone. And honestly, with what Dipper did to me, I'm sure that just one little snow globe won't make him hate me more than I hate him right now. It's about time he gets a little payback, anyways.

"Just a little more summer," I whisper, reaching out my own hand to take his. I hesitate as a wave of regret washes over me, but I ignore it when I realize Bill had already reached forwards to shake my hand. The blue fire spreads to my own, and for a second I get ready to feel pain, but to my suprise it just feels warm.

We both let go and drop our arms back to our sides. I wonder exactly how I'm going to get the snow globe, but Bill is already on to answering my question.

"Alright, Shooting Star, smart choice! Ready to steal one of your brother's possessions?" he asks, more enthusiastic than it should've been said. He is all of a sudden next to me, his hand on my shoulder. For a second I want to move away, but I want to hear what he has to say first.

"Well, I wouldn't call it _stealing_ ," I reply, "It's more like, payback of some sort?" I don't like the idea of stealing something from Dipper, so I change the words to make it more believable. Works every time.

Bill is quick to respond. "Stealing, payback, same thing, right?" I shake my head, but he keeps going. "I need you to go down into your great uncle's lab." His eye is a projector again, and it shows me how to get there. "Pine Tree and Sixer should already be down there, and it's your job to get me what I asked for! Once you have it, run it here to me. Simple!"

I have a bad feeling about this, but I simply nod my head. "Okay, go into Great Uncle Ford's lab, get the thing, bring it here. And then... are you sure you can give me an endless summer?"

"Ha!" Bill laughs, placing his hands over where I'd assume his 'chest' would be. "Kid, I'm a dream demon. I can do anything! In fact, I can predict the future; in about three seconds you'll be waking up screaming!" All of a sudden the world turns dark, and I blink my eyes open, although I don't remember closing them.

True to his word, my jaw drops open and a scream forms in the back of my throat until it makes it's way out. "AAAAAAH!"

 **Dipper's POV**

I'm in Ford's lab, my thoughts pondering inside of my head. I reconcile everything that has just happened, from saving Ford, to accepting my apprenticeship, to Mabel running away. "Maybe I'm making the wrong decision," I mutter, "I need to think about this."

"Dipper," I turn to Ford as he says my name, "right now we need to focus on the mission. Now, come on, I've got the glue; hand me the rift and let's make history!" I nod and turn back around to grab my bag, which I left at the side of the elevator. I stop, though, when I see something move... _Mabel?!_

"Mabel! You came back!" I exclaim, thrilled that my sister wasn't hurt. I open my arms and smile, and I expect her to come running to me for an awkward sibling hug. Instead, she turns her head towards me, her expression showing both sadness and suprise. Confused, I see her holding something in her hands... _the rift!_ "Wait... Mabel! What are you doing with that?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Dipper," she looks at me for compassion, but the only thing I give her is confusion and horror. I take a step forward, but she's already in the elevator, heading up to the top.

"Mabel!" I raise my voice, not knowing what to do. _Why did she take the rift? She could break it, does she even know what will happen if it does?!_ I turn around to Ford for help, and he's already looking at me weirdly because I raised my voice.

"Yes, we will go get her after. But for now-"

"No, Great Uncle Ford!" I interrupt him, "Mabel took the rift!" I point to the elevator and see his face of confusion change to one of pure shock. He grabs my hand and we run towards the elevator.

"Dipper! Press the emergency stop button!" He orders, pointing to a row of buttons on my side. They're all layed out in a straight line, but each are a different color.

I rush over to the buttons and see labels, but they're all written in some sort of cipher. I panic, looking for some sort of answer. "Uhh, uhh, which one?!" I mumble to myself. _There's no time, I need to press one!_ I read the labels carefully, and see one that has the exact amount of letters as 'emergency stop' does. Looking back at the label, 'klgghqphvvdjh', I press it. And with just my luck, nothing happens.

"She's already made it," Ford sighs as we see the arrow pointing to the top floor. He turns around quickly and looks up, and I do the same. _Oh, the hole in the ceiling from when I lost my 38-sided die!_ "Dipper, go first! You're much faster than I am. Remember, get the rift, and save the world!"

I gulp as the immediate pressure is placed upon my unprepared shoulders, but I know there's no way out of this. He picks me up onto his shoulders, and I hoist myself up to the hole that leads under the shack. Once I'm out, my eye is caught by a pink blur in the background. _Mabel!_

 **Mabel's POV**

 _I got it! I got the thing! Now I just have to bring it to Bill, and then..._

"Mabel! Come back here right now!" Ugh, it's Dipper, ordering me around like usual. Well, brother, this time _I'm_ the one who gets to do what _I_ want to do.

I ignore him as he continues to yell at me, but I'm still running. I avoid tripping over tree roots and rocks, but all of a sudden something grabs me and I get pulled back. My sweater's caught on a tree branch! I struggle to get the thread untangled, but I can already see Dipper running towards me.

"Come on... come on..." I mutter, the adrenaline levels in my blood rising as Dipper is getting closer and closer to me. "Aha, yes!" I finally get my sweater untangled, but my short-termed celebration comes to an end when Dipper grabs my arm.

He reaches for the thing and yells in my ear, "Mabel, give me the rift!" I pull it out of reach from his arm, and place my other hand on his cheek, trying to push him away from me.

"Never!" I yell back, but to my unfortune he reached whatever he called it... _the rift?_ No, I can't let him have it, I need to bring it to Bill so I can stay in Gravity Falls with him!

In the short time of a few seconds, gravity reverses. The whole world becomes upside down, and time slows until it's like we're swimming in a pool of maple syrup.

During our fight, Dipper and I tripped over a tree branch.

"No!" we share a gasp as the rift flies away from the both of us, and we hear the sound of glass shattering as it reaches the ground. Following that sound is the most unsettling maniacal laughter I've ever heard in my life. Yes, even worse than the sound of Grunkle Stan cackling after making us scratch his gross back for him.

A beam of light shoots up from where the rift broke, and the world turns gray. Bill appears in front of the beacon, and when the color returns, he remains.

"At last! At long, long last!" Bill's voice is thrilled, and his eye widens in excitement. "The gateway between worlds has opened! The event one billion years prophesized has finally come to pass! The day has come, the world is finally mine!" He flies up in the air to reveal a giant 'X' forming in the sky. What's inside of it looks like someone's failed art project.

"Oh no! Wait, wait wait!"

"What's going on?! What _is_ that?!"

"We're too late!" Ford's voice is heard from behind us, and we turn around to face him. His voice is stern to match his face as he looks at the yellow triangle staring down at us. "It's the end of the world."

 **AN: I hope this is at all interesting for you guys! Of course this chapter is just the introduction and follows a lot of what we already saw in the show, but I have a lot more planned for this story. As for an update schedule, I'll try to get in at least one chapter per week, so stick around. Seeya nerds later!**


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